Die For A Cause
by Truefrog
Summary: What if the Careers killed Peta at the first chance they had? There was no rebellion so the games continue. The capital is growing forcing fear and suffering on the districts. Follow four characters through the games. Snows granddaughter Volunteers for a young girl in district 10 with a disability. Two tributes and two mentors. Who will come out on top, who will come out alive?
1. Reaping Day

**A/N: So, I'm hoping to update this story every second day, but I can be distracted very easily, and I am about to start school again. I will try to update, I also have two stories going at the moment this will make it a third. Please leave a review, tell me what I need to work on. Constructive criticism is more than welcome but please try and keep the flames to a minimum.**

**I know this is a short chapter, but I promise that the next chapter should be longer. Each chapter I plan on putting what happened last time. As this is the first chapter it is only the summary.**

Reaping Day

Chapter 1

**Summary: What if Peta never made it out of the Arena, what if the Careers killed him- before he could lead them to Katniss. What if there was no rebellion and the games continued. Katniss and Gale are Mentors in the 76****th**** hunger games.**

-Katniss-

Rue's dead, Peta's dead who will be next. Is all Katniss can think as she lets her sorrows engulf her. It's the reaping for the 76th annual hunger games. The quarter quell was last year. And the special rule was that there was no mentor support and the tributes had to be either eleven or volunteered for. Due to that Katniss has never been a mentor at the games before. These will be her first. Last year the winner of the hunger games was none other than Gale Hawthorne.

The memories of the day Katniss had to see him go were torturous. Effie calling out the name of the female tribute and then calling the males. The female tribute for district twelve is…Callie Evans. Prim's best friend who was eleven. Prim got up shouting "I volunteer as tribute" over and over sobbing. Effie glanced across to Katniss whose face was contorted in rage, knowing she couldn't volunteer this time. The male tribute for district twelve is… Ryan Crates. Gale Hawthorne volunteered to protect Prim. And with that Katniss couldn't control her rage any longer. She started screaming and crying knowing that even if one was to win only one would make it out alive.

Just remembering that day made her heart ache for Prim and her eyes fill with tears, that was until she was snapped out of it by the person standing next to her. Gale shook her shoulder.

"Katniss, you in there. It's years like this I wish we could run away."

Katniss simply looked at Gale with a sorrowful expression.

"Rue's dead, Peta's dead and Prim is dead. I just wonder who's next."

Katniss felt arms wrap around her, they were strong and supportive. Gale's hug reminded her of her affection for him. As they walked to the reaping, the followed the sea of emotionless or crying faces. Katniss caught a glimpse of Prim's best friend her face covered in tears. Gale saw her concern and simply gave her another squeeze. His arm now slung across her shoulders. The peace keepers where dragging the smaller children into there lines. It made the blood of the new mentors' boil, the injustice their world faced. Knowing they could never do anything to stop it, they continue to walk.

After taking their place on the stage and catching up with Effie in a sense the video ended. Effie no longer mouthed the words to this as she had realised how foul the games truly were. The Tributes were called out.

"The female tribute is… Elizabeth Counsel." At this; Effie's words, a mother screams. The look on the young girl's face is broken at her mother's screams.

"The male tribute is… Ryan Crates the boy Gale volunteered for just one year ago. He kept looking at a boy standing closer to the back, obviously his brother as he walked up. Hoping that he would volunteer but he didn't budge. The peace keeper grabbed Ryan's arms and shoved him towards the stage.

"That's sick, his brothers 17 – he's in the year below me—and he's eleven wouldn't you volunteer."

Effie's commentary interrupted their conversation. "May the odds be ever in your favour. Katniss nudged him as Effie turned to them.

"This year's mentors are Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne." There was a polite round of applause and then the tributes and mentors alike were dragged to the train.

Haymitch bid them farewell at the station. His words to the tributes were short and simple. "Don't die."

Katniss sat close to Gale on the train so close there was no gap between the sides of their bodies. The tributes were silent as well. The only sound was Effie trying to brighten things up. As well as the sounds of sobbing coming from the male tribute. Whose name was Ryan Crates. He was reaped again but with no one to volunteer for him.

Ryan automatically idolised Gale, so that left Katniss to take care of the female tribute whose name was Elizabeth Counsel.

"Do you want to talk or me to talk. I can also stop talking if you want." Katniss approached the girl with a high degree of caution, remembering her time on the train.

"I just need to win. The games took my sister I can't let them take me to. Otherwise who would care for jimmy? Certainly not my parents who killed themselves after Margret died." Her response is full of emotion, no sarcasm. Her response was what put her on the verge of tears. But none came. Katniss looked into the eyes Elizabeth and saw Rue. She saw someone who was too young to go. Another tribute wrongfully forced into participating in the capitals twisted game. Gale saw it to in the face of Ryan. The gave each other a knowing look and decided that enough had been said today.

In the night Katniss still screams, for the dead, for the living and for her life. When she screams the attendants know not to come to her. So, this night as Katniss screamed in her bed, Gale – first off, went to the tributes and explained as quickly as humanly possible and then – ran to Katniss' room. He woke her.

"It was just a dream. I'm sorry"

"It's ok I get them to."

He pauses and before turning says, "Goodnight."

"Gale, will you stay with me?"

"Yeah." He walked towards her and settled himself on the bed. Slinging his arm around Katniss. "Always."

Katniss moved towards Gale leaning her head on his chest. Wishing this moment would last instead of what would come tomorrow.


	2. The Interviews

-Katniss—

In the morning, Katniss attempts to lift her body of the bed, but a weight pulls her down. She sees Gale's head resting on her chest. The memories of last night flooded back in a tidal wave. Then she realised where they were. On the train going to the capital. Her movement caused Gale to stir. He moved to face Katniss and kissed her on the forehead. After this display of affection giggles could be heard outside Katniss' room. The two victors look to the door, only to see Elizabeth piggy-backing Ryan standing at the door watching. When the two tributes see they have the mentor's attention the run. Well Elizabeth does. Ferrying Ryan along with her.

"You know, I think they have a publicity plan ready." With Gale's remark Katniss laughs, as in proper laughter for the first time in months.

Effie is ready and waiting, already lecturing the two tributes about running around in the carriages. Katniss and Gale walk in attached by the hip. As soon and Ryan sees them, he shrinks back behind Elizabeth, causing the mentors to laugh again. Elizabeth is smirking at Katniss. Effie is the only one who doesn't understand what is going on. Once everyone is seated at the table which still has the marks from when Katniss stabbed it the first time. Gale runs his hand over the dint. "I've always wondered why this is here." He states like it is a simple fact. Effie doesn't hesitate to explain how Katniss was the one to stab the precious mahogany table.

Once the breakfast conversations get boring, it's time to talk strategy. They have agreed on an entrance for the chariots and a game strategy. Stick together, stay away from the cornucopia! By the time they have finished discussing such matters the capital rolls around the corner. "Go, wave at them." Katniss says, acknowledging Haymitch's words towards peta. "He knows what he's doing." Too bad he didn't do enough to stay alive. Gale notices Katniss' distant behaviour and nudges her arm and points at the two tributes making faces and waving at the crowd. Effie sighs as Gale and Katniss laugh at the kid's innocence. Then again there are much worse games to play.

When the train stops at the station, the group is swarmed by peace keepers. Escorting them to the designed areas. The tributes to the preparation stations and the mentors and Effie to their level of the building. The three await to see Cinna and the other designer. **(A/N: sorry I don't know the name of Peta's designer)** once the tributes have been guided to the chariots Gale and Katniss take their places as spectators in the stands.

The drums start, seemingly interrupting the darkening sky as the lights come on. The chariots role out one by one. Starting at district one and ascending to district twelve. Elizabeth and Ryan come out; their lower halves submerged in flames. As they planned Elizabeth is giving Ryan a piggy-back. The audience cheers and awws. At the moment district twelve is once again the crowd favourite now running three years.

Last year Gale and Prim, showed how close they were by gale having one arm around Prim's her shoulder. At one-point Prim even kissed gale on the cheek. Showing their until now sibling like love. Once all the chariots have met at the end of the lane an echoing voice booms across all of Panem. "Welcome to the 76th hunger games." The audience applauses their president. Snow continues his short uninspiring speech. "May the odds be ever in your favour." The chariots ride off to their original positions, that had gone well. Now all that was left was the interviews and the actual games.

Cinna had been preparing Elizabeth's costume design for months, he only needed the size and it was currently being made, as it has been for the past couple days. The strategy was to pass of Elizabeth and Ryan with a sibling love kind of bond. The chances of the audience believing that was high, really high. The capital fell for anything. And that meant anything. So, the next day—after a rough night of sleep from all of the personal staying in the district twelves level—was spent waiting for the big night. The tributes were quizzed by their mentors on all the basic questions Cesar was likely to ask them. By the time it was time to prepare for the interviews, the two menacing tributes had Effie in tears. Their Sibling act was apparently the best she'd ever seen. In Effie's own words 'the sponsors will be lining up around the block.'

"Katniss let's go." Gale nudged Katniss' upper arm and in a way ushered her to the elevator. This act of affection again left Elizabeth and Ryan in fits of immature giggles.

"Oh, whatever they're in love. Move along." It was Effie's words that caused everyone to blush. This situation left Katniss leaving the elevator with a smile on her face, quickly wiped off as she remembered the task at hand.

The crowd gathers and takes their seats, when the lights go out the applause begins. Cesar takes the stage and the applause booms out, across the stage and across the districts.

"Hello Panem." His hearty voice full with as much energy as his Fluro green hair. Once he raises his hands to stop the applause the audience falls silence, the suspense killing them – you could say – of what was to come next.

The interviews have begun. District one and two charming the capital with their supposed charm and manner. The district three tributes pulling of the screw the hunger games kind of tactic. Four, the we're in love. And Five – with both tributes are eleven – pulled of the I'm young and innocent. The rest of the districts just tried their best to convince the sponsors to sponsor them. Until, district twelve came out. "Ladies first…" Caesar calls out to Elizabeth, her nerves suddenly disappearing. As Katniss watched her walk out, perfect posture and a flawless greeting. Katniss smiled approvingly as Elizabeth's eyes searched the audience.

"Hello Caesar, it's a pleasure to meet you in person." She smiles so sweetly the whole audience awws as one.

"Well hello, Elizabeth. So, I have to ask, your district has quite the tradition of flames on clothing. Do you have any on display for tonight?"

"Yes. I do actually, this dress is just so wonderful. Cinna is the most amazing designer. But yes, I have the flames on tonight. Would you like to see them?" Before receiving an answer, Elizabeth stood up raised her arms and the lower half of her body was engulfed in the most realistic of flames. With that the audience went wild.

"Wonderful, wonderful. Now Elizabeth in all seriousness, what do you think about h=coming to the games with such a young tribute."

"Caesar it pulls my heart strings, it truly does. Honestly, I don't think I could bear to see him go in the games. I've only known Ryan a couple of days but really, he's already like a brother to me. So, all I want to do is to keep him safe. Whatever it takes." **(That's an Avengers Endgame reference.) **

"That is so sweet of you, but unfortunately this interview has come to an end. Everybody, Elizabeth district twelve." He pauses for the audience to applause. "Now our male tribute from district twelve… Ryan."

Ryan shuffles onstage, his suit looking ridiculous on his scrawny body.

"Hello Ryan. Now it says here in my cards that you where reaped last year as well. Is that true?"

"Yes, unfortunately I was reaped last year as well. Obviously, Gale volunteered for me. I couldn't be more grateful then but now he should have just let me go in. I would have died, and he wouldn't have had to go through the trauma."

"That's very insightful of you…" Ryan cut him off.

"The only reason he volunteered is because of Katniss' sister. Gale volunteered to keep her safe. It's cruel, the games are tearing families apart." Caesar stared at him.

"Thank you, Ryan, this interview has no time left but I'm sure the capital wishes you luck. Now you may have noticed that there was only one – male – tribute from district ten and that's because something has happened that has never happened before. We have a volunteer from the capital!" The audience gasped as a whole.

"That's right. And it is none the less, president Snow's granddaughter." If the crowd wasn't already so shocked they definitely were now.


End file.
